The Begining
by Chi Lesczinski
Summary: What happened in the 19 years before the next generation came to Hogwarts? A heck of a lot, a story of love, life, and rebuilding. Crappy summary but a good story. Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse, I wish though.

Harry woke up with a start. He grabbed his wand and his glasses at the same time. When his eyes and wand were both up to speed, he checked his surroundings to find the source of his sudden departure from a deep dreamless sleep. A movement in the corner of the familiar room caught his eye. He had the curse half out of his mouth before he recognized Ron.

"Take it easy mate, it's just me." Ron said, hands up in a defensive gesture.

"You startled me…" Harry started, then drifted off into silence.

"You've got a right to still be a little jumpy there, I would have hexed him if it had been me." Neville's voice came from behind the curtains of his four poster bed.

" What time is it?" Harry asked, wondering how much sleep he had gotten.

" It's about 9:30" Ron said checking his pocket watch.

"At night?! I slept all day?" Harry exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

"Try in the morning, you're still on yesterday time mate, you slept all day and all night, but no worries no one's mad at you but mum's been waiting to get some food into you."

"Food is definitely on my list of things to get done today." Harry half muttered to himself. He pulled on his clothes and robes slowly, still orientating himself to the date.

" A shower wouldn't kill you either you know." Ron said, sniggering.

"Is it that bad?" Harry asked giving himself a discreet sniff.

"Right now our ghoul has nothing on you."

"Shower first, then food, then… hell I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now."

"Hermione's got some ideas, she's been talking about coming back to Hogwarts next fall, and I guarantee she'll try to rope you in as well." Harry thought about Ron's words as he made his way to the bathroom. The hot water pouring down his back felt like heaven to him. When he made it back to his dorm room, Ron and Neville had been joined by Seamus and Dean.

" Morning Harry." Seamus said, but he looked like he wanted to say more, or say less.

"Morning, if you need me, I'll be in the Great Hall stuffing a years worth of food in my face." Harry tried to be blasé but he felt that the others may have seen through his façade. 

Harry passed many people in the halls on his way down to his breakfast, some he knew as students, others, he had no clue who they were, but they all greeted him in some way or another. When he finally made it to the Great Hall he was already exhausted from the greetings. He paused at the doors and considered just going back to his dorm and having a house elf bring him something to eat, but he knew that the people waiting for him to appear needed to be reassured by his presence, that by simply being alive, it meant they were safe, that their families were safe. Harry felt as if the weight of the world was still on his shoulders. He sighed, then entered the room.

At first the people eating breakfast swamped Harry again, but Molly Weasley intervened. She wrapped one arm around Harry's shoulders and gave her famous impression of a mountain lion.

"This boy needs to eat, and the first person I see bothering him will have to deal with me." Harry gave her a winning smile.

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley." 

"Not at all Harry, now you come sit over here with us and eat something, you're looking peaky and so thin…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off as she led Harry to the table where all the Weasleys were eating. Harry took a seat between Mr. Weasley and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley piled food onto his plate and then tried to smooth his hair. Harry began eating, listening to the conversations going on around him.

"They don't know how long it's going to take, but their hopeful it won't be long before the ministry is completely back to normal. I hear they're going to hire a lot more muggleborns, and possibly even some squibs." Percy was telling Hermione.

"Why would they hire squibs? It's not like they can actually do anything." Ron said around a mouthful of eggs.

"Honestly Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed as some of Ron's breakfast made it's way into her hair. "The ministry was decimated during the war, there aren't a lot of wizards left who used to work there, and besides squibs could be quite useful there, they could take over doing paperwork or helping clean up the mess and debris. No one in this world or any world is good for nothing, everyone can contribute in their own way." Hermione's eyes had taken on the familiar gleam that Harry and Ron associated with S.P.E.W.. Ron raised his hands in a submissive gesture.

"Alright alright, don't take my head off." Harry had thought about what Hermione said, that everyone was good for something.

"I think it'd be a really good idea to include the squibs more in the magical world." Harry said, and was a little embarrassed by the sudden silence around him. " I mean, not just squibs, there are a lot of people in the wizarding world that get a bad deal." He started. He knew what he was going to say next was probably going to shock or possibly offend a lot of his friends. " I think that if the ministry had been more involved in caring for those who are cast aside from the wizarding world, then maybe… I mean what if the ministry had run an orphanage for witches and wizards, if Tom Riddle had been raised by people like himself, people who understood him… I'm not saying he didn't have serious flaws in whatever it is that makes us who we are but… it's just not coming out right!" Harry exclaimed.

" I think what Harry means is that if there are services available to people like Riddle's mum, maybe we could have prevented what happened, or lessened it…" Ron started, looking unsure. Harry shot him a grateful smile, and Ron grinned back.

" Oh boys!" Mrs. Weasley cried and grabbed both Harry and Ron into a hug that left them both panting for air. " A mother hopes and hopes her sons will grow into kind compassionate men, but when it happens she can't believe it. To think, after all you've been through you can find compassion and sympathy for even the most evil of men!" She hugged them again. Harry had a vague notion that Mrs. Weasley had included him with Ron in the category of her sons.

"Molly, Molly! The boys can't breathe" Mr. Weasley pried Mrs. Weasley off of Ron and Harry. They both gave him grateful looks, however Ron's relief was short lived, however, because Hermione hugged him too with a cry of " Oh Ron!" He didn't look too bothered though, as Hermione proceeded to kiss him senseless.

"This is going to be worse than Bill and Fleur" Ginny said, standing at Harry's elbow. For one moment Harry forgot how to breathe, everything in the whole world was centered on Ginny's face. Without stopping to think, all the love and worry he had felt for her over the year came flooding into his eyes. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion and love his heart and soul. For those moments that felt like golden eternity Harry felt nothing, heard nothing but Ginny.

"Should we interrupt them before Ron comes up for air?" Percy asked uncertainly.

"No son, let them be, they've earned these few minutes of happiness." Mr. Weasley said gently, then pulled his wife into a hug.

A few moments later Ron caught sight of Harry and Ginny, he was about to rudely interrupt but Hermione gave him a smile and a look. He sighed.

"I guess I'm not allowed to say anything about this… right now" Ron said, Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Ron, you're just going to get over the fact that Harry and Ginny are completely and totally in love."

"I guess so, but if it was anyone other than Harry there would be some serious pain going around." Ron said, glaring. The rest of the Weasleys laughed and went back to their breakfasts.

When Harry finally pulled away from Ginny, he didn't let go. He just stared at her.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the whole of all the worlds."

"You're just saying that because I let you snog me." Ginny said with a laugh

"There's that too" Harry said with a laugh, and pulled her close to him. " I never want to be away from you again."

"I'll need to shower and sleep sometime Harry"

"You'll learn the joys of a 2 minute shower" Ginny laughed and pulled Harry down onto the bench. Harry was quite sure he'd never been as happy as he was at that moment.


	2. Chapter 2

Two days after Harry woke up from his extended nap they had the funeral. For a long time Harry debated whether or not he should even attend. He remembered a time just over a year ago, a different funeral, but it felt the same to him. The same anger, the same hurt, the same sense of loss, but it was different this time in one small but important way. This time he wasn't burying his mentor, his protector, this time he was saying good bye and thank you to the people who had given their lives so that he could continue to fight, those who had died so that Luna Lovegood could see her father again, so that Ron could wrap his arms around Hermione, so that Teddy Lupin could grow up and be loved, and to never know the fear his parents knew.

Harry was dreading the funeral because he was sure that he was going to be asked to say something, and he couldn't think of anything thing that would be even remotely close to what he felt needed to be said, the thanks the sadness, the joy. As he was walking to the graveyard, his fingers twined with Ginny's, he saw a small boy and his parents. The little boy was smiling and running around, his father was chasing him and trying to put his shoes on, his mother was laughing. At that moment Harry knew what he would say, should he be called upon.

Halfway through the service Professor McGonnagal asked if he would please come to the podium and say a few words. He rose and walked to her, his eyes on the white tomb behind her. He turned and faced the assembled witches and wizards, who waited intently to hear what he had to say.

" I would like to say something profound and fitting, something to ease the pain I see, but I can't because that is not who I am, what I can do is repeat the words of a great man, and hope that you all laugh, because laughter is a magic beyond all we do here. Nitwick oddment blubber tweek." There was a split second of complete silence and then suddenly everyone was laughing. Ron was laughing so hard tears were rolling down his face. As Harry passed George on his way to his seat George gave him a thumbs up.

"Good one mate" Harry sat down and Ginny kissed his cheek. Harry felt lighter inside, and for a moment he could imagine Dumbledore smiling at him. After the funeral everyone gathered into the Great Hall for a feast before departing. Prof. McGonagall stood and magnified her voice.

"I would like you all to raise your glasses in a toast to Harry Potter, who delivered us all."

"Professor I would really like to change the toast, I would prefer if we toasted somebody else, anybody else." Harry called out before the toast could be held. Ron sniggered, held up his glass and called out

"To Aberforth's goats!" Everyone laughed, but said in unison " To Aberforth's goats!" After the feast Molly got a hold of Ron by his ear.

"A historic occasion which will be written down and remembered for generations to come and you toast goats! Ronald Bilius Weasley what in the world were you thinking?!"

"Geroff me mum, you didn't yell at Harry!"

"Yes well… Don't do it again!"

"Yes mum, because we all know Ron goes to historic and important events all the time, and he's bound to be asked to make a toast that people will remember for generations to come." George quipped, but moved quickly out of his mother's arm range.

" I thought it was rather brilliant myself." Harry said smiling.

"Yeah, Dumbledore would have been proud" Hagrid added his two sense.

"Speaking of historic happenings" Hermione said. " For the first time Hogwarts will welcome back students to complete their seventh years if they school before they were finished, and I think it would be a good idea if we all came back and took our N.E.W.T.s." Ron groaned but Harry looked thoughtful.

"Well I have to come back, there's no way to become an auror if you don't take the tests, and that's all I can imagine doing with my life."

"Well damn, I'd forgotten we had to finish to be aurors." Ron said, looking slightly defeated.

"Harry you've already spent your life chasing and fighting dark wizards, why not do something else. I mean yes, you already have tons of experience fighting the dark arts, but wouldn't you want to do something more peaceful with your life, take a break from being in danger?" Ginny asked. " You could concentrate on quidditch this year and possibly go pro."

"If I've had enough of dark wizards and danger, then I've definitely had enough of being famous." Harry said, laughing, but inside Ginny's words had gotten him thinking. All his life he had to fight, to risk his life to protect those his loved ones, and in a lot of cases, his loved ones had given their lives to protect him. What if Ginny was right, why should he continue chasing down the evil in the world, he felt like he'd given a lot to the cause, and mostly only gotten pain in return. He thought through most of the day, not paying attention to what was going on around him. Ron had to smack him in the back of the head to get his attention.

"Oiy mate, you might want to pay attention, who knows where you'll end up if you don't do it properly." Harry looked at Ron, confused.

"Do what properly?"

"Harry! Haven't you been listening, we're going to apparate back to the Burrow!" Hermione's voice was an octave higher in her panic.

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry I'll pay attention now." Harry gave himself a mental shake, and told himself to pull it together. He couldn't go wool gathering now, he might end up half way to china and not know how he got there. When it came his turn, he doubled his focus and concentrated on the Burrow. As he turned on the spot he felt the familiar sensation of being crushed by his own body. When he could breathe again he was standing in the lane, looking at his favorite place in the entire world. He walked hand in hand with Ginny into the Burrow, feeling like he was home at last.

Late that night he sat up thinking again, about his future, about Ginny's. He knew that whatever he did with his life, it would affect her life. For the first time since he found out about aurors in his fifth year, he considered other careers. A quiet conversation with Hermione had provided him with the information he wanted. He considered first working in the ministry, but he quickly rejected that idea. He would never get over his distrust of the ministry. He knew he didn't want to work as a healer, and owning a shop didn't sound like it would be right for him either. With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair. Ron groaned and sat up in the other bed.

"Mate it's almost 2 in the morning, what are you doing awake?"

"Can't sleep, thinking don't worry, go back to sleep."

"Thinking about what? What could be so important that you're sitting up here in the dark sighing to yourself?" Harry briefly argued with himself about telling Ron what he was actually thinking, he didn't want to make Ron mad, because Ron had his heart set on becoming an auror. He decided that, as his best friend, and Ginny's brother, Ron deserved to know about Harry's second thoughts.

" Ron… I'm not sure I want to be an auror still." Harry braced himself for Ron's anger, but was surprised when Ron gave a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you're thinking it too. When I first heard about it, I thought it would be great, because of all of our adventures and stuff, but this past year, on the run, no family…"

"and no food" Harry added with a laugh.

" And no food, it's made me think too, and honestly I've had enough violence. So… what are you thinking? Not the ministry we wouldn't be happy there."

"What if I want to do something you think is stupid?" Harry was a little surprised that Ron had decided that they would be together til the end.

"Then we'll do something stupid and laugh everyday. You're not thinking of breeding blast ended skrewts are you?"

"No, for a while now I've had this idea in the back of my mind, but you're going to think it's stupid."

"So what if I think it's stupid. Would it make you happy? More importantly would it make Ginny and Hermione happy?"

"I don't know. I think it would, it wouldn't involve danger or monsters or life or death battles."

"It already sounds great."

"I was thinking, maybe after we graduate school… well of opening an orphanage for wizards, a place so people like Riddle and I don't have to grow up feeling unwanted, feeling like freaks."

"An orphanage… with like babies? I don't know mate, have you ever been around babies? They drool and spit up and have messy nappies." Ron's tone was so serious, but Harry couldn't help laughing. Ron joined in. They didn't know how loud they were being until Molly came through their door, looking like she was going to hex them both.

"You boys better have a good reason for waking the entire house with your laughter at 2:30 in the morning!"

"Sorry… mum… Harry… changing… nappies!" Ron managed to get out between laughs and gasps for air.

"Harry doing what?! Why would Harry need to change nappies?" Molly whipped around and Harry noticed her wand was pointed straight at his heart.

"It's not what you're thinking Mrs. Weasley!" Harry said hurriedly, somewhere in the back of his mind he could see the next morning's prophet headline: "BOY WHO LIVED, KILLED BY MOTHER OF 7"

"No mum, Harry and I were talking about what we wanted to do after we graduated, and Harry suggested opening an orphanage for wizards." The look on Molly's face changed so fast Harry wasn't sure he'd even seen it happen. She sat down on the end of Ron's bed.

"Oh Harry… I think that would be a wonderful idea, but it takes a lot of money to raise one child, let alone several, and it's a big responsibility. You would be raising children, and that is one of the hardest jobs there is in this world. Not only do you have to worry if they're eating their vegetables and doing well in school, but you worry if some bad person is going… is going to take them away from you." Molly's voice trailed off and Harry could tell she was crying.

"Mum… shh it's okay," Ron looked at Harry with desperation, Harry slipped quietly from the room and quickly found Mr. Weasley and explained what was going on. Arthur gently led Molly from the room, an arm around her shoulders. Both boys sat in their beds uncomfortable, both still grieving but unable to express it. Eventually they both lay back down and fell into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
